Thursday, December 5, 2013

NHL Day 66 2013-2014

Ten games on today, beginning in...

Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Jonathan Bernier are in goal. Toronto got going in the second period as Nazem Kadri scored his eighth of the season, courtesy of James van Riemsdyk and Phil Kessel. Dallas tied it in the third period when Erik Cole scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Shawn Horcoff and Valeri Nichushkin. The Maple Leafs retook the lead in the third period on another Kadri goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, passed from Cody Franson and Kessel on the power play. The Stars tied it as Horcoff scored his third of the year, a power play goal powered by Kevin Connauton and Sergei Gonchar. Toronto won 3-2 in overtime as Trevor Smith scored his fourth of the campaign, helped along by Jake Gardiner and Dion Phaneuf. The three stars went to Kadri, Kessel, and Horcoff.

Down in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Pittsburgh dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Pascal Dupuis goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Brooks Orpik and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins added on as Jayson Megna scored his third of the year, thanks to Simon Despres. Pittsburgh extended the lead with a Chris Kunitz goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Crosby and James Neal. The Penguins padded the lead as Kunitz scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Neal and Crosby, the latter getting a sock trick. San Jose got on the board with a Tomas Hertl goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Joe Thornton and Brent Burns. Alex Stalock relieved Niemi for the third period. Pittsburgh answered in the third period on a Kris Letang goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Olli Maatta and Joe Vitale. This held up for a 5-1 win, with the three stars being Kunitz, Fleury (44 for 45 in saves), and Crosby, while Neal gets an honorable mention.

Moving along to Buffalo, as the Sabres host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Ryan Miller are the masked men. New York began in the first period on a Rick Nash goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh. The Rangers added on in the third period when Brad Richards scored his eighth of the year, a power play goal powered by Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello. New York extended the lead as Zuccarello scored his fifth of the season, with helpers provided by Richards and McDonagh. Buffalo got on the board with a Tyler Ennis goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Zemgus Girgensons. The final was 3-1, with the three stars belonging to Zuccarello, Richards, and Lundqvist (27 for 28 in saves), while McDonagh gets the honorable mention.

To the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner is in goal against former crease-mate Ben Bishop. Tampa Bay led off in the first period as Martin St. Louis scored his eleventh of the season, assisted by Ondrej Palat and Matthew Carle. Ottawa tied it when Patrick Wiercioch scored a power play goal in the second period, via Kyle Turris. The Lightning took the lead back as St. Louis scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, made possible by Palat and Tyler Johnson. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the third period on a Valtteri Filppula goal, his tenth of the season, an unassisted goal. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being St. Louis, Bishop (33 for 34), and Palat.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Tim Thomas are the veteran goalies. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period with an Andrew Ladd goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler. Florida tied it when Erik Gudbranson scored his second of the year, courtesy of Tomas Fleischmann and Marcel Goc. The Panthers took the lead in the second period on a Dylan Olsen goal, coming off of Scottie Upshall and Gudbranson. Florida added on as Fleischmann scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Mike Weaver and Dmitry Kulikov. The Panthers extended the lead in the third period on a Nick Bjugstad goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Upshall and Tom Gilbert. The Jets got one back as Olli Jokinen netted his seventh of the season, with a lone assist from Devin Setoguchi. Florida finished it at 5-2 with a Jimmy Hayes goal, his second of the year, made possible by Olsen. The three stars were Olsen, Gudbranson, and Fleischmann, while Upshall gets an honorable mention.

Back up in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Carey Price guard the cages. Boston struck first in the first period on a Gregory Campbell goal, his second of the season, passed from Milan Lucic and Dennis Seidenberg. Montreal tied it in the second period as Tomas Plekanec potted his tenth of the year, via Josh Gorges and Brian Gionta. The Canadiens took the lead with a Max Pacioretty goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Raphael Diaz and Brendan Gallagher. This was all they needed to win 2-1, with the three stars going to Price (32 for 33 in saves), Pacioretty, and Plekanec.

South again to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Justin Peters and Marek Mazanec are in the blue paint. Carolina quickly opened in the first period as Justin Faulk scored his second of the season, an unassisted goal. Nashville tied it in the second period on a Mike Fisher goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Victor Bartley and Seth Jones. The Predators took the lead when Viktor Stalberg scored his third of the season, via Nick Spaling. The Hurricanes tied it again as Jeff Skinner scored his seventh of the year, courtesy of Ryan Murphy and Tuomo Ruutu. Carolina gained the lead as Riley Nash scored his second of the season, assisted by Patrick Dwyer and Ron Hainsey. The Hurricanes added on with another Skinner goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, coming on the power play with assists by Eric Staal and Faulk. Carter Hutton relieved Mazanec for the third period. Carolina extended the lead in the third period as Skinner finished his hat trick with his ninth of the campaign, an empty net goal set up by Faulk and Andrej Sekera. The three stars were handed to Skinner, Faulk, and Peters (20 for 22 in saves).

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Josh Harding are the reliable goalies. Minnesota started in the first period on a Matt Cooke goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Torrey Mitchell and Erik Haula. The Wild added on in the second period when Zach Parise scored his twelfth of the year on the power play, powered by Dany Heatley and Jason Pominville. Chicago got on the board with a Jeremy Morin goal, passed from Joakim Nordstrom and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period on an unassisted goal by Brandon Saad, his eighth of the season. Chicago gained the lead when Marian Hossa scored his twelfth of the year, a power play goal via Kris Versteeg and Nick Leddy. Minnesota retied it on a Jonas Brodin power play goal, his fifth of the season, thanks to Jared Spurgeon and Justin Fontaine. The Wild took the lead as Marco Scandella scored, with the help of Spurgeon and Charlie Coyle. This was good for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Scandella, Spurgeon, and Brodin.

Southward to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the New York Islanders. Anders Nilsson is mismatched with Jaroslav Halak in goal. St. Louis began in the first period with a Jay Bouwmeester power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Vladimir Sobotka and Ian Cole. New York tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Andrew MacDonald, his third of the year, guided in by Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo. The Blues retook the lead on a Derek Roy power play goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of T.J. Oshie and Kevin Shattenkirk. St. Louis added on as David Backes scored his thirteenth of the year, a power play goal fueled by Alexander Steen and Shattenkirk. The Blues extended the lead on a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his second of the season, guided in by Patrick Berglund and Bouwmeester. St. Louis padded the lead in the third period as Brenden Morrow scored his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Roy and Oshie. This produced a 5-1 final, with the three stars being given to Bouwmeester, Halak (22 for 23 in saves), and Roy, while Shattenkirk and Oshie get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in Edmonton, the Oilers host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Devan Dubnyk are the young goalies. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Taylor Hall goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Philip Larsen. The Oilers added on as Hall scored his second of the game and ninth of the year, via Justin Schultz and Jordan Eberle on the power play. Edmonton extended the lead with a Ales Hemsky power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Ryan Smyth and Mark Arcobello. Colorado got on the board in the second period as Nick Holden scored his second of the year, with a lone assist by Matt Duchene. The Avalanche pulled closer with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Gabriel Landeskog and Erik Johnson. The Oilers shot back as David Perron scored his twelfth of the year, an unassisted goal. Edmonton padded the lead in the third period with an Arcobello goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Hemsky and Smyth. The Oilers kept going as Eberle scored his tenth of the year, courtesy of Smyth, who got a sock trick, and Perron. Edmonton struck again on a Sam Gagner goal, his third of the season, with a lone helper by Hall. The Oilers finished the drubbing as Hall finished his hat trick with his tenth of the year, made possible by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Corey Potter. The three stars of the 8-2 game were handed to Hall, Smyth, and Perron, while Eberle, Arcobello, and Hemsky get the honorable mentions.

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